Small regulatory RNAs of the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway as a prophylactic treatment against fish pathogenic viruses
Abstract
Small RNAs acting in the recently discovered gene regulatory mechanism called RNA interference has a potential as diagnostic signatures of disease and immunological state and when produced synthetically as prophylactic treatment of such diseases. In the RNAi mechanism the cell produces different small RNAs which inhibit gene expression through more or less specific interaction with messenger RNAs resulting in repression of translation to protein. In this way cells can turn of genes of specific pathways thereby leading to altered physiological stages of tissues and possibly of whole organisms. The mechanism can be programmed with several types of small double stranded RNAs - the type of which defines the destiny of the target. One such class of regulatory RNAs called microRNAs are upregulated due to various physiological responses of the cell and they suppress many genes simultaneously believed to be connected through common or related pathways. Another class of small RNAs, the so called small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) has received attention due their high degree of target specificity. Because synthetic siRNAs can be designed to target specific disease causing genes such as viral genes or oncogenes they hold promise in the treatment against cellular diseases in veterinary as well as human medicine This presentation will give an overview of the RNAi mechanism, and examples from our studies of microRNA regulation in rainbow trout during infection with the fish pathogenic rhabdovirus viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) and examples of some of our results on delivery and effect of siRNAs designed to target viral genes of VHSV. The VHS disease causes high mortalities in salmonid fish aquacultures why intervention strategies are highly in demand.
Info
Conference Abstract, 2011
UN SDG Classification
DK Main Research Area
Science/Technology
